Susan Sontag

Writer

January 16, 1933 New York, New York, United States

December 28, 2004 New York, New York, United States

Philip Rieff

Susan Sontag was an American literary figure who was known for her liberal thinking, which reflected in her works. Her words were always thought-provoking and engaging, often generating a lot of debate and earning her both praise and criticism in equal measure. She educated herself extensively in literature, philosophy and religion, and accumulated profound experiences by interacting with intellectuals from various fields. In her first work, ‘On Photography’, she displayed confidence and maturity far beyond her age. Over the years, she did a variety of works, but film criticism was her forte, as she established herself as one of the foremost influential critics of her time. Among her other numerous works, it was her laboriously compiled essays which brought out the aesthete inside her. In her later years, she went on to achieve mainstream commercial success with her two acclaimed novels ‘The Volcano Lover’ and ‘In America’. With a personality as bold as her writings, Sontag also became a vocal political activist against US’ war policies and visited the war-afflicted countries. Even after her demise, Susan continues to live on through her work and continues to be an inspiration to the young liberal thinkers around the world. She will always be remembered as someone who wasn’t afraid to call a spade a spade.